10 Luxurious Destinations For Honeymooning Kayakers

Are you dreaming of a kayak adventure for your honeymoon? It’s true, North America has plenty to offer, but setting your sights beyond the borders of Canada and the United States reveals a world of romantic paddling possibilities in exotic international kayak destinations. These include historic Mediterranean rivers, tropical islands and northern fjords—magical places that set the stage for an unforgettable honeymoon voyage.

Sign up for a guided trip for the ultimate in convenience, regardless of your paddling skill. You can trust these local experts to take care of all the complex logistics, including dealing with language barriers, providing top-notch paddling equipment, and planning the best itineraries to take in all the highlights. Options range from luxurious cruise and kayak voyages to multiday coastal kayak touring expeditions, depending on your skills and expectations.

We’ve probed all corners of the globe to assemble a list of the best honeymoon trips for kayakers, including tropical paradises, polar seascapes and everything in between.

16 Of The Best Places To Paddle In America

Portugal

Portugal’s comfortable Mediterranean climate, friendly people, great food and sweeping pastoral landscapes make it a renowned destination for travel. It’s great for paddlers, too, and a trip on the historic Douro or Mondego rivers makes for an ideal honeymoon blending fantastic kayaking with Old World romance.

1 Douro River

Douro Kayak Expeditions offers multiple tour options on the Douro River, also known as Portugal’s “River of Wine.” The company offers six- and 10-day fully guided paddling journeys tracing the Douro as it flows peacefully through rolling hills and ancient vineyards across Portugal. You’ll spend nights in riverside manors and enjoy local food and drink, as well as visit three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

You can also sign up for a nine-day kayak tour of the Douro and two of its tributaries, the Tua and Tamega rivers, with 7 Rivers Expeditions. This fully guided trip takes in historic sites and bucolic landscapes, from Porto to Barca de Alva.

7 Rivers Expeditions offers another nine-day trip on the Douro, which takes in stunning shorelines near the Spanish border, passes through the valley where port wine originated, and wraps up at luxurious thermal springs.

2 Mondego River

Portugal’s largest waterway, the Mondego traverses a landscape of vineyards, Mediterranean forests and small rural communities. 7 Rivers Expeditions’ six-day Mondego trip captures the local flavor in terms of food, drink and people, making for a great honeymoon journey for couples who love to paddle and have authentic cultural experiences.

Bahamas

It’s hard to imagine a better option for Caribbean sea kayaking than the Bahamas. This chain of sandy islands stretching southeast from Florida boasts warm, sparkling water, great snorkeling and friendly people. It all makes for a paradisiacal destination for a honeymoon kayak trip.

3 Exuma Cays

The Exumas are made up of 365 islands and cays in various sizes, from tiny sand spits to Great Exuma, a strip of limestone and sand measuring about 60 kilometers in length. Breakwater Expeditions’ Exuma Cays tour offers four to five days of sea kayaking in the Exumas, with a mix of camping and lodge accommodations and daily distances perfect for novice to intermediate paddlers. This trip is great if you’re looking for local knowledge and the opportunity to challenge your skills in amazing tropical waters.

Meanwhile, Canadian outfitter Wanapitei Canoe Expeditions offers a six-day Exumas sea kayak tour for paddlers looking to experience wilderness camping on spectacular Caribbean islands. The tour island hops north of Great Exuma, featuring sand beaches and the Bahamas’ characteristic sapphire waters. All equipment, meals and professional guiding is included. Just bring your swimsuit, mask and snorkel.

Mexico

Mexico’s Baja Peninsula is a classic sunshine destination where you can extend your sea kayak season into the winter months. It is the perfect place for a honeymoon journey, with crystalline waters, pristine beaches, unique desert landscapes and starry night skies.

4 Carmen Island

Paddle with Sea Kayak Baja Mexico on a 10-day expedition into the heart of the Loreto Marine Park. This guided, all-inclusive journey features plenty of wildlife in the sea and on land, including dolphins, blue whales, sea turtles and bighorn sheep. The shoreline is a stunning mix of beaches, sea caves and cliffs. It’s the perfect trip for wilderness lovers looking for a life-list trip in a magically diverse place. The 100-kilometer itinerary is best for paddlers with some sea kayaking experience.

5 Isla Espiritu Santo

Sea Kayak Adventures offers a touch of extra comfort in its five-day Isla Espiritu Santo package, featuring panga (motorboat) support for lighter, easier paddling and more flexible plans. Adventures abound in and around the crystalline waters of the Sea of Cortez on this guided and fully outfitted beginner-friendly trip—including great snorkeling, desert hiking and beachcombing on a coastline that’s home to whales, sea lions and so much more.

Australia

Looking to combine a bucket-list destination and a honeymoon kayak trip all in one? Voyage Down Under for a honeymoon adventure that checks all the boxes. This continent has something for everyone—first and foremost an amazing coastline including countless options for sea kayaking.

6 Tasman Peninsula

Located south of Australia, on the island state of Tasmania, the Tasman Peninsula is a stunning combination of rocky cliffs and paradisiacal beaches—about as far off the beaten track as you can journey for a honeymoon paddling retreat. Southern Sea Ventures organizes an all-inclusive, four-day Tasmanian kayak adventure based from a romantic beachside private lodge. The surrounding waters are home to migrating humpback and southern right whales from May to November. The adventure includes a special guest biologist to help you learn more about this rich ocean ecosystem.

Fiji

With great beaches, warm water and endless sunshine, it’s hard to imagine a better destination for a honeymoon trip. Adding kayaking makes a trip to this Pacific paradise the ideal vacation for couples.

7 Yasawa Islands

Join Southern Sea Ventures for a unique Fiji sea kayak tour that includes a cruise from Nadi to the Blue Lagoon in the Yasawa Islands. This incredible weeklong adventure is offered May through October, and includes stunning beaches, limestone caves and swaying palms. You’ll experience a traditional Fijian village and combine amazing tropical kayaking with world-class snorkeling.

Chile

Chile is a legendary destination for adventurers and a perfect place for a honeymoon retreat during the austral summer. You’ll find welcoming people and a country that makes adventure travel easy. Better yet, go guided for an all-inclusive and more immersive experience.

8 Patagonia

British Columbia’s Spirit of the West Adventures’ vision of the ultimate Patagonia sea kayak tour is a 12-day, mothership-based adventure amidst icebergs and along the edge of the San Rafael Glacier. Coastal Patagonia features deep fjords, hot springs and mountain views, as well as amazing marine wildlife. This fully guided tour includes overnight stays aboard a comfortable mothership, gourmet meals and beginner-friendly paddling options.

Norway

Norway is a classic sea kayak destination that’s well known for an intriguing mix of cold, exposed waters, tall cliffs, deep fjords and captivating Norse culture. Its advanced paddling conditions make it a good option for intermediate and more experienced paddlers, though a range of guided trips makes Norway accessible to everyone.

9 Tromso

Looking for a honeymoon adventure combining sea kayaking, sailing and hiking? Meet your guides and group in the northern Norwegian town of Tromso to begin an eight-day exploration of the island nation’s rockbound fjords, which are interspersed with gravel beaches and austere sea stacks—all resting beneath a backdrop of soaring mountains. TRAK Camps & Tours handles all the logistics and offers expert guiding to promise the trip of a lifetime.

10 Svalbard

Derived from old Norse, Svalbard translates to “cold edge”—an apt name for a place of polar bears, pack ice and midnight sun. This eight-day package with Southern Sea Ventures blends luxury with kayaking adventures in Svalbard’s Arctic waters. You’ll enjoy boutique accommodations and gourmet meals aboard the 50-passenger Polar Pioneer, while also participating in guided day tours amidst icebergs and along rocky shores. Southern Sea plans for at least one full-day, linear kayak trip where paddlers are dropped off by the ship and picked up elsewhere. A spring departure date maximizes opportunities to see polar bears and provides the magic of nearly 24 hours of daylight.

Feature photo: Donovan Kelly/Pexels